Christian artists are pushing the boundaries – The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A man with closed eyes stands in front of a microphone, one hand on his chest, wearing a necklace with a cross pendant—reminiscent of many Christian artists featured in the Democrat-Gazette across Arkansas.

A new wave of artists is transcending traditional notions of Christian music, drawing young global audiences to faith-based rap, Afrobeats and R&B.

Often boosted by social media, many of them got their start with independent labels or by uploading self-made songs to streaming platforms. Now, bigger labels and streaming services…